Reflections or Deja Vu?

Similarities between Diana Ross and the Supremes and Deena Jones and the Dreams. Art imitates Life!

Monday, January 29, 2007

Still Great the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Time!

Well, I have been remiss in posting to my blog. I saw Dreamgirls again (With Joey and Dr. Sean), and again (With Kate and Claire), and again (with ABI work colleagues) and again (with Jane and Frank).

As I have watched this film I am consistently impressed with the way that Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson brought their characters to life. I sure hope that the AMPAS give their Oscars to these deserving nominees.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Even Better the Second Time Around

I attended a second Road Show screening this afternoon with my friend Glenn.From the cow bell at the start until the jingling bells at the end, this gorgeous and entertaining masterpiece of a movie fulfills on every level and delivers a brilliant adaptation of the original Broadway show.

I saw the original Broadway production in 1982 and numerous regional theater productions as well. Condon incorporates elements from the stage into his production such as in 'It's all over' that create a theatrical experience as you are watching the movie. Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy are outstanding in their roles and will be recognized for their engaging interpretations of Effie White and James Thunder Early.

Never before have I heard so much spontaneous and thunderous applause throughout a movie.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

It's All Over

Monday, December 11, 2006

The Original Dreamgirl

Diana Ross is one of the most successful female artists of her era, due to both her solo work and her tenure as lead singer of Motown girl group The Supremes during the 1960s.

In 1976, Billboard magazine named her the female entertainer of the century. In 1993, The Guinness Book of World Records pronounced her the most successful female music artist ever (the title is now attributed to Madonna), partly due to Ross' combined total of eighteen American number-one singles, six of them recorded solo and the remaining dozen from her work with the Supremes.

Ross also crossed over to achieve success in film, earning an Academy Award nomination for her role as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues (1972).

Similarities

The basic plot of Dreamgirls is derived from the history of The Supremes, a girl-group from Detroit which was Motown's most successful group act during the 1960s. Diana Ross, who became the central focus of the Supremes and later left the group to pursue a solo career and a brief venture into films, is here adapted into the character of Deena Jones. Supremes member Mary Wilson is represented by Lorrell Robinson. Curtis Taylor, Jr. represents Berry Gordy, Jr., the founder of Motown, who pushed the Supremes towards pop success and became romantically involved with Ross. Effie White is a doppelgänger for Florence Ballard, original lead singer of the Supremes; the character's vocal stylings and personality are based upon soul singer Etta James. James "Thunder" Early is depicted as a cross between James Brown, Marvin Gaye, and Jackie Wilson, and C. C. White is a collective representative for The Supremes' songwriters, who included the Holland-Dozier-Holland team and Smokey Robinson. Michelle Morris is representative of Cindy Birdsong, Florence Ballard's replacement in The Supremes, which was renamed "Diana Ross & the Supremes" at the time of that personnel change.